Re: NOHZ: local_softirq_pending 08

From: Johannes Berg
Date: Fri Oct 23 2009 - 10:32:05 EST


On Fri, 2009-10-23 at 16:27 +0200, Tilman Schmidt wrote:

> >> --- a/drivers/isdn/i4l/isdn_ppp.c
> >> +++ b/drivers/isdn/i4l/isdn_ppp.c
> >> @@ -1174,7 +1174,10 @@ isdn_ppp_push_higher(isdn_net_dev * net_dev, isdn_net_local * lp, struct sk_buff
> >> #endif /* CONFIG_IPPP_FILTER */
> >> skb->dev = dev;
> >> skb_reset_mac_header(skb);
> >> - netif_rx(skb);
> >> + if (in_interrupt())
> >> + netif_rx(skb);
> >> + else
> >> + netif_rx_ni(skb);
> >
> > So you've verified that the entire i4l stack can cope with being called
> > twice on the same CPU, from different contexts?
>
> What makes you think so?

I thought I'd explained this in my other email. *sigh*

You're squelching a warning, which comes from the fact that you're
calling something that calls into netif_rx() with softirqs enabled. That
would seem to imply that potentially a softirq could at the same time
call into that code too.

Basically, what happens now is this:

disable softirqs
call into i4l/ppp
i4l/ppp code
call netif_rx()
more code
enable softirqs


You're changing it to

call into i4l/ppp
i4l/ppp code
call netif_rx_ni()
more code

so the entire chunks "i4l/ppp code" and "more code" are now no longer
protected against being interrupted by a softirq that runs the same
code, maybe for a different device, on the same CPU.

johannes

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part